Yesterday I received a letter that left me flabbergasted by its content.  It called for me to stop doing a work and service that I love to provide. At first I was upset and I ranted and raved against the person who sent it.  Later, in my prayer time, I asked the Lord to forgive me for being upset with that individual.

This morning as I was reading my daily devotional, the Lord placed the above scripture in my heart.  When I read it I realized nothing stays the same. Things change, people come and go.  My job is to understand there might be something better in store for me and God is calling me to a new chapter in my life that will be a stepping-stone in my career.

So, instead of lamenting the end of a period in my life, I will rejoice for the new season God is calling me to.  Rejoice because I see endless possibilities coming from the freedom I will experience at not being tied down to a place that was keeping me from expanding my wings and opening my service for others to enjoy.

As I stated in one of my earlier blogs, I needed to have an empty nest.  I accomplished this when my daughters left to go back to college.  Next I needed to find time for myself.  I decided I would block a certain time period during the day for prayer and meditation. Then, I would stop all work (that includes my favorite hobby – card crafting) by 7:00 p.m.  This would allow me to attend Bible study, dance rehearsal, choir practice, or just catching up on all my DVR recordings.

I put this into practice on January 18th (just 4 days ago) and you would be surprised at how much I have accomplished!  Setting up quiet time did not involve spending time alone, it consisted on preparing myself mentally and spiritually.  It meant setting up an ambiance in my home -  tidying up the place once the girls left, lighting scented candles, listening to music, and would you believe, changing my eating habits?

Since  I began, I feel a peace I cannot describe settle over me; I sleep better, wake up with energy to do all my early morning tasks, and eagerly look forward to handling anything that comes my way during the day.

Quiet time will give you the motivation you need to get things off the ground, i.e, your business, a hobby, a chore you have put off.  I urge you to try it.

“Then they are glad because they are quiet; So He guides them to their desired haven.” – Psalm 107:30 (NKJV)

Today, I see my financial situation as temporary. I am trusting and believing  God will open the doors that will allow prosperity and abundance to come rushing through.

Faith allows me to have peace of mind and not worry about my tomorrow.  It gives me the opportunity to breathe, relax and forget the trials I am facing. It gives me the assurance of better things to come.

This made me realize that I have to take a hard look at where I am today and accept that I hold the key to my deliverance.  I have to take the steps necessary to free me from the bondage of financial struggle, which is holding me back from being successful.

So, in searching myself I have discovered that I have to sacrifice certain luxuries that are not a priority in my life and allow room for the things that are a necessity.

This is only the beginning.  The self-search will go on and I’m sure there will be a lot I will uncover about myself.  The key here is to begin.

To read and subscribe Stacy Brice’s Virtual Moxie, click here.

C.S. Lewis stated that “when things are put first, second things are not suppressed, but they are increased. What we do with the first in our lives determines what happens with the rest.”

I have been following the principle of First Fruits for the past 5 years, but I have not put it into practice.  I hope to change that this year.  I realize that if I want to prosper and be successful, I have to give to God – and I don’t mean my tithe.  It means giving him the first of everything I receive at the beginning of the year.

I recognize that if I want the rest of the year to be successful, I must sow my first fruits offering in January.  This means spending time in God’s presence, being obedient to him and offering my first earnings of the year.  This could be a day’s wage, a week, or a month.  God tells us in his Word that if we bring him our first fruits, he will open the floodgates of heaven and fill us with blessings we won’t have room to hold (Malachi 3:10).

Offering my first fruits to God will give me peace of mind because in doing so I have been obedient to his Word and applied his statutes.

If you want more information on the First Fruits Principle click here.

• Getting Rid of Bad Habits in Our Lives.  Not an easy thing to do, but if we are serious about our well-being, then we have to focus on making this a reality.  Ridding ourselves of the bad habits in our lives  means reviving, reawakening to endless possibilities.  It means imitating the forgiveness and love that God gives us. We need to learn to forgive ourselves for our mistakes and forgive others.  Holding on the past hurts and mistakes only hinders and hold us back. Shedding bad habits awakens us to accept that no one is perfect and we can all learn from our past.
• Changing Our Minds, Having Faith, Trusting and Believing in Ourselves and the God We Serve. – Hebrews 11:1 says: “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. (KJV). This means the following: (a) a belief in God against the world; (b) a belief in the Spirit; and (c) a belief in the future against the present.  We need to learn that if we have faith in God, we can come boldly to his throne and ask, and trusting in our belief, we will receive.  Luke 8:43-47 (click here) tells of the woman with the issue of blood who, believing that if she could just touch the hem of Jesus’ garment would be healed, did so and was healed! Need I say more?
• We Need to Change Our Words and Our Perception.  Life and death lies in the power of the tongue (click here).  In other words, what comes from our mouths is what we will get or who we will be. We need to speak words that reaffirm who we are and whose we are. If we want to prosper, we need to speak words of prosperity.  If we want blessing in our lives, we need to declare that we are blessed.  Do you know who you are?  You are a child of the Most High God! Declare it, believe it, act in it!

• We Were Created in God’s Own Image. Fada Joe ended the revival with these words, which was the highlight of the weekend for me.  We are fully loaded.  He said, “Just as we buy a new equipment (computer, cell phone, etc.) and we need a manual to learn how to work all of its features, so are we.  To operate to our full potential, we need the Owner’s Manual, the Bible.“

If we want to take care of our lives and live it to the fullest, we need a revival to take place in our lives. We must open our Bibles and read God’s instructions on how to act and what to do.  We need to learn to ask for wisdom, walk in faith, and develop a P.M.A (Positive Mental Attitude). We must confess, believe and watch God send showers of blessings in our springtime – Zechariah 10:1 (click here).

This is where discipline comes in.  I have to train myself to put me first and making sure that I stick with it.

Just as I have undertaken to study the Word of God and set the time to spend in his presence, so I have to do with taking care of me.  I have to train hard and setup guidelines that will enable me to keep my focus on my health and well-being, and put others second.

The Bible tells us: “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind,...” Romans 12: 2 (KJV).

Renewing my mind in the Word requires that I change the way I have been living my life; it involves not only my spiritual and physical life, but the habits and mannerisms I have acquired over a lifetime.

One’s soul finds contentment and peace from selflessly giving and helping others who are in need.  One sees life in a different way.  The problems and cares one might be experiencing are in the backseat and giving aid takes priority.

Try it sometime.  You will be surprised by a tranquility and peace that fills you with so much joy it makes your inner being glow.

Focusing on my personal goals will take priority over everything else because I know that if I take care of me, all other things will fall into place.

Topping my list is self-search, taking a hard look at myself – what works for me, what I’ve done wrong, how I can learn from my mistakes, and where I can grow.

Once I review these and filter out the negatives, I will be on the right path to organizing my life.  I may not like what I discover, but key to becoming a better me is accepting the flaws that are a part of my makeup.

After I finished, I felt as if a ton of weight had been removed from me!  This inspired me to clean my linen closet.  I experienced the same feeling of lightness afterward.

Since then, I have not done much else.  However, part of taking care of myself involves regaining that feeling of lightness, so I have decided to make housecleaning a permanent part of my self-care package.

Ridding myself of the junk I have collected over the years is not going to be an easy task.  I am sure to have days when I will look at unused items with nostalgia and try to talk myself out of throwing it out.  When that happens, I will be able to remind myself of the feeling of lightness and clarity that I gained after cleaning my closets and I won’t have any qualms in throwing things out.